Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette REL-Mohawk Technology’s Grant Johnson throws from the mound on Tuesday night in Hancock in a Twilight League game against Craig Heinonen-Coldwell Banker.

HANCOCK — It was opening night for the senior circuit of local men’s baseball with REL-Mohawk Technology earning a 9-3 win over Craig Heinonen-Coldwell Banker.

In short, the REL squad came out swinging with a big five-run first inning that set the tone.

“This was a fun one,” said REL’s player-coach, Ty Loukus. “We hit the ball surprisingly well for an opening night.”

Everyone stepped up to the plate in the opening frame. Catcher Travis Pietila opened with a base hit and Loukus earned the first RBI of the season hitting in the fifth spot of the lineup.

The REL squad tacked on another one in the second, but Coldwell was not going to be shutout. It was pitcher Carson Turner who helped his own cause with a double and a run scored courtesy of a Bill Pelli single up the middle in the bottom of the second.

“Carson came to hit,” stated Coldwell’s player-coach Ross Kinnunen. “He had two doubles and a triple, but we didn’t support him enough.”

It was 6-2 after three innings.

Then came the fourth where REL added three more. Pietila started the inning off with a single and came home on a Ned Larson base hit to right. Larson and Alan Jurmu accounted for runs eight and nine.

While Coldwell was able to added another run in the seventh, it was way too little and way too late.

Grant Johnson earned a complete-game win going all seven innings and striking out six with one walk.

“Grant threw strikes, and that is what we need,” noted Loukus. “He had a good defense to back him up.”

On the other bench, Kinnunen noted that there were too many errors in the field and that hurt their pitcher, Carson Turner.

“It was a rough first game,” he stated. “We made too many errors, nor did we hit well tonight. That happens. We need to tighten up our defense and get the bats going, and we will be alright.”

Up Next

Coldwell Banker will take on Garnet Garage tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the John Bostwick Memorial Field in Houghton.

REL has the night off.